Free Web NovelChapter 424: Chapter 421: Clanging Quartet
Flanked by three mages, the Prime Minister got into Rorschach’s black—no, red—car. The vehicle’s appearance caught the attention of the Master and the Prime Minister.
To avoid being seen, the Prime Minister held down his top hat and ducked into the car first. Humboldt, curious, walked a circle around it. The large Magic Lamps at the front and back, and the windshield, were all quite different from a carriage. Most importantly, its shape reminded him of a beetle.
He was the last to get in. Rorschach sat in the front passenger seat. In the back, the Prime Minister had already naturally pulled the curtains shut and was stealthily pressing on the leather seat, testing its springiness.
"No horses? And no Mechanical Body?" Master Humboldt was extremely curious about Rorschach’s vehicle, looking and touching everything he could.
"The power source is in the front."
Humboldt thought of the protruding space in front of the car’s cabin. "Is the Mechanical Body in there?"
’No, why are you so obsessed with bionics? Don’t tell me there’s a Demonic Puppet pedaling away or running in a hamster wheel inside the hood?’ Rorschach frankly revealed the principle: "The power source is a set of Alchemy Devices:
"The cylinders have built-in Magic Arrays that can compress air and then release it, pushing the pistons embedded inside.
"The pistons drive a crankshaft, converting their reciprocating motion into rotational motion, which drives the wheel hubs via bearings. But there’s also a flywheel that uses inertia to divert some of the output to power the system for the next cycle.
"The power source for the Magic Arrays comes from a special Alchemy Potion. During each cycle, it’s pumped into and out of a jacket layer on the cylinder’s outer wall to power the arrays..."
The principles Rorschach described were basically copied from an internal combustion engine. ’After all, if you don’t know the principles of these engines, you haven’t learned thermodynamics well, and if you haven’t learned thermodynamics well, you’re not a top-tier chemical engineering geek.’
But this "Air Motor" didn’t have a fuel vaporization and combustion process. Instead, it was based on the Magic Array from [Rorschach’s Air Cannon], compressing air in an extremely short instant. The [Air Cannon] itself is an instantly released Magic, which replaced the combustion. This was the method Rorschach had found to create the most torque while avoiding the harsh conditions of a combustion chamber, naturally lowering the requirements for craftsmanship and materials by a great deal.
Other Magic that could output kinetic energy was either too powerful for the steel components to withstand the long-term impact, or its instantaneous power was insufficient, failing to provide the required torque and peak power for the car.
The Air Motor didn’t "burn" oil either, but a special Alchemy Potion—a "Slurry Water" obtained from high-concentration cultivated Living Water Body Bacteria after they die. After being completely deactivated, Transmutation Dust Powder is immediately added, melted, and stirred evenly to produce a relatively thick, bluish-purple, pearlescent liquid. As the Magic Power contained within is released, its viscosity will gradually decrease.
Of course, no matter how low the processing standards were set, there were still limitations. For example, the Air Motors currently produced by the Gao Po Precision Factory only reached a maximum of 13 horsepower with two cylinders. If they tried to push it further, the minute differences in each cylinder’s stroke would be exposed, and the entire system would become unstable.
All in all, this thing could be called an "Air Car." It uses air as a medium and is very environmentally friendly.
Rorschach gave a lengthy explanation from the passenger seat. Beside him, Master Humboldt was silent for a moment, then nodded and smiled. "Right, most of that... I didn’t understand."
’It was rare for Otto to listen in on two mages talking as if the dignified Empire Prime Minister were just thin air. He listened in silence, impressed despite his confusion. He never expected that the Great Mage wouldn’t understand a word of his junior’s mumbling, and he certainly didn’t expect the Great Mage to admit it so bluntly. The difference in demeanor between mages and politicians never failed to give the Prime Minister a small jolt.’
He pulled out his Pocket Watch to check the time and coughed once from the back seat. "Pardon me, gentlemen. I have an appointment with His Majesty Albert. Could you take me to the Royal Palace?"
Humboldt nodded. "As you wish, sir." Then he turned to Rorschach and asked, "Why isn’t the car moving? Where’s the driver?"
"You’re in the driver’s seat. You’ve shut the driv... the coachman, outside." Outside, Andre’s hand was numb from banging on the door. He kept calling Rorschach with the [Communication Skill], hoping he would remind Master Humboldt to switch seats.
Humboldt nodded again. "I see." Then, unhurriedly, he got out of the car, walked halfway around, and sat in the back seat.
’Do you get like this after practicing Natural Spells for too long? Is it a return to simplicity, or are you just naturally dense?’ Rorschach realized that the "composure" Master Humboldt had shown earlier could be interpreted from another angle.
’But he couldn’t rule out the possibility that he was doing it on purpose. The evidence was that as soon as the Master got in the car, he started touching everything, then gripped the steering wheel tightly, instinctively assuming the "driving position." Besides, even with the soundproofed windows, Humboldt must have heard Andre knocking on the door and window.’
Andre got in the car and used the [Communication Skill] to complain to Rorschach, "Sir, you didn’t even remind the Master."
"You could have reminded him yourself. The double-paned glass is soundproof, but it doesn’t block the [Communication Skill]."
"I did! But the Master ignored me," Andre complained as he started driving. "I think the Master definitely wants to try driving. He’s interested in this car."
"That’s right, I am interested." Humboldt’s sudden entry into the [Communication Skill] conversation startled Andre. Rorschach had already been through this, so he remained calm.
"See? I told you. The [Communication Skill] isn’t completely private."
Humboldt asked many more questions, getting new terms like "suspension" and "differential gear." But what he cared about most were metrics like horsepower and speed. Andre used the actual road conditions to give the Great Mage a live demonstration and lesson on how to accelerate, turn, and brake.
Although the three mages were deep in a heated conversation using the [Communication Skill], our great Empire Prime Minister, Mr. Otto, couldn’t hear a thing. To his aging ears, the inside of the car seemed far too quiet.
He was about to remain silent, but then he thought about his mission for coming here and coughed, hoping to break the "silence." The Lord Chancellor’s cough interrupted the three mages’ enthusiastic discussion. Rorschach turned his head to the side, Andre glanced at the Lord Chancellor through the rearview mirror, and Humboldt went so far as to raise a hand and cast a small healing spell.
The Prime Minister, bathed for a moment in green light, said, "...Thank you, Alexander." ’Mr. Otto realized that compared to the Crown Prince, he was even worse at handling these Casters, whose minds didn’t work like normal people’s.’ The Prime Minister also chose to start the conversation with the strange vehicle. "Is this kind of Alchemy Vehicle expensive? And must it be operated by a Mage?"
"The driver doesn’t need to know Magic. A coachman who can drive a horse or ox cart can learn to drive it, My Lord. Once the production process matures, the price of the car will drop. However, it requires an Alchemy Potion to run, which must be supplied by us."
Prime Minister Otto nodded. "Then it has great potential for popularization. Perhaps some novelty-seeking Nobility and wealthy people will add an Alchemy Chariot like this to their collection."
"Ideally, every family in the country will be able to own a car like this for transportation." ’The Beetle is for the people!’
The Prime Minister just thought the young man was joking. Not every household in the city could afford to buy and maintain a carriage, let alone an Alchemy Chariot. "A car for every household... Rorschach Mage, I find you have a talent for being an Empire Senator, skilled at painting a beautiful vision for the people." To put it bluntly, the Prime Minister thought someone was talking out of their ass in the enclosed car.
"You have a good eye. But it’s my friend who wants to be an Empire Senator, not me..."
’Rorschach has someone from the Pro-Empire Faction around him?’ Otto silently took note of the offhand remark.
After the car arrived at the Royal Palace on the outskirts of the city, Otto got out. At the palace entrance, his secretary, Guards, and a crowd of others were already waiting eagerly. The Prime Minister shook Rorschach’s hand lightly for a second time. "This is the first time I’ve wished a journey could be longer. Rorschach Mage, you are a very interesting young man. I look forward to meeting you again."
"I have a feeling it will be very soon." ’Clearly the Prime Minister has already investigated me. This old man came prepared.’
"Indeed." After speaking, the Prime Minister stepped onto the red carpet and passed through the palace gates of Bayern, flanked by Guards.
Climbing back into the car, Rorschach was slightly surprised to see Humboldt get in as well. The Master simply instructed him to drive to Kempson. "There’s nothing but vineyards around here. Let’s go to your place."
The "Air Car" started up, and the indicator light showed that the Magic Power concentration of the Alchemy Potion was low. Although a Mage wasn’t needed for driving, having a Caster in the car came with a perk:
From the passenger seat, Rorschach grabbed the gearshift, and the Secret Silver Alloy Rod embedded within it directly pumped Magic Power into the Alchemy Potion.
"Alright, Sir, any more and the cylinders will blow," Andre warned Rorschach to stop, then started the car again and headed for Kempson.
